Reported by CPC strategy, the ’Google Shopping for Suppliers’ platform was launched two weeks ago in beta and is currently only open to the electronics and electrical industries in the US.
It has, according to reports, been built to break into the B2B market that its other consumer purchasing platform, Google Shopping, does not accommodate.
However, recognising the complex negotiations that take place between supplier and buyer, the Shopping for Suppliers platform does not use or has modified versions of policies around pricing, payments, shipping, taxes, returns and refunds.
Suppliers will be able to pay an annual subscription fee to become a ’Google Verified Supplier’, which will mean receiving a badge on the listings, having products show ahead of those from unverified suppliers, as well as products featuring higher in a sponsored results sections.
American suppliers will pay a $1,000 yearly verification fee; Chinese suppliers ￥6,000 (plus 6% VAT) a year and Hong Kong-based suppliers $7,500 a year.
There has been no comment from Google about when, or if, it plans to widen this purchasing platform.
